This invention generally relates to detecting anomalies in utility meters, and more specifically, to detecting anomalies in metering systems through data analysis of meter readings.
Meter malfunctioning problems widely exist in many utility industries such as the water and electricity utilities. Major issues include meter-no-reading, meter-by-pass and meter-silting problems. Most of the time, meter malfunctions are due to aging and deterioration. Sometimes, the recorded water and electricity power consumption may be less than the actual consumption due to theft, which causes revenue loss for the utility companies. Other losses or anomalies in meter reading may occur for other reasons. For example, leaks may develop in water lines, causing an unusual increase in water meter readings.
Detection of meter anomalies plays an important role in asset management. However, it is expensive and unrealistic to check each meter to identify defective ones.